Toyota 2014 Highlander style goes bolder

Updated 4:22 pm, Friday, January 31, 2014

The family-friendly features new or improved for 2014 are many. Starting at the dash, thereâs a nifty storage shelf thatâs integrated along most of the dash.

The family-friendly features new or improved for 2014 are many. Starting at the dash, thereâs a nifty storage shelf thatâs integrated along most of the dash.

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Third-row seats on Highlanders have changed from the previous 50/50 split fold-down arrangement to a 60/40.

Third-row seats on Highlanders have changed from the previous 50/50 split fold-down arrangement to a 60/40.

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The 2014 Toyota Highlander's center console is a roll-top design that's big enough to stow a large handbag.

The 2014 Toyota Highlander's center console is a roll-top design that's big enough to stow a large handbag.

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Toyota's redesign of its new, third-generation 2014 Highlander gives the SUV more of the premium look.

Toyota's redesign of its new, third-generation 2014 Highlander gives the SUV more of the premium look.

Toyota 2014 Highlander style goes bolder

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Ever since it debuted in 2001, Toyota's hot-selling Highlander has emulated the Camry's traits: The car-based SUV might not have earned raves in the styling or fun-to-drive department, but it's been a champ when it comes to being functional and easy to live with. And if it is time to part with this three-row SUV, the Highlander's outstanding resale value can bring one last smile.

In the dozen years it's been on the market, the Highlander's playing field has grown fiercely competitive. Rick LoFaso, corporate marketing manager for Toyota Motor Sales, said planners looked into why consumers picked another SUV over the Highlander.

LoFaso said the main weaknesses Toyota's researchers identified are addressed by the 2014 makeover. The new, third-generation Highlander has bolder styling, drives better and is more family-friendly.

Walking up to the 2014 Highlander, the first thing you're likely to notice is its more aggressive stance - thanks to the vehicle being slightly longer and wider - and the way light plays off the more chiseled panels. There are creases - character lines, if you will - that help chase away the blandness and give this new, third-generation Highlander more of the premium look.

Journalists were set loose with the 2014 Highlander in and around Santa Barbara, Calif., making it easy to explore how the new SUV behaved along shoreline drives, frenetic freeways and two-lane mountain passes filled with blind curves. As soon as we hit our first stretch of open highway, we confirmed the Highlander is more engaging.

Drivers will find the Highlander's steering is crisp (for an SUV) while the suspension is supple, making for a smooth ride. Toyota's engineers devoted a lot of attention to the underpinnings. At the rear, for example, the Highlander now sports a double-wishbone suspension. Shifting the coil springs and shock absorbers helped deliver a 34 percent increase in cargo space behind the third-row seat: the 3.5 cu.-ft. bump up yields a total of 13.8 cu.-ft. The third-row seating area is now 3.7 inches wider overall than the outgoing model.

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The Highlander is noticeably quieter. Credit goes to the windshield, now made of acoustic-type glass, as well as thicker side windows, 30 percent more insulation for the floor, a redesigned exhaust system and aerodynamic improvements, which help trim fuel usage.

The family-friendly features new or improved for 2014 are many. Starting at the dash, there's a nifty storage shelf that's integrated along most of the dash. You don't have to have a family to appreciate that Toyota has included provisions for charging cables to keep your mobile device's battery topped off. The center console, meanwhile, is a roll-top design that's big enough to stow a large handbag.

If you don't need room for eight occupants, the second row is available as captain's chairs. Access to the third row is more convenient because both sides of the second row now incorporate a one-step sliding seat with almost 3 more inches of sliding range.

A backup camera, hill-start assist and Bluetooth phone-book access and music streaming are standard on all Highlanders.

The Highlander lineup has been tweaked. There basically are five versions: the entry level LE starts with an MSRP of $29,215, the LE Plus is priced at $32,740, the XLE is $36,040, the Limited starts at $39,640, and the Hybrid Limited, arriving in a few weeks, is $47,300.

The available engines remain a 185-horsepower four-cylinder that delivers an EPA rating of 20/25 city/highway mpg; a 270-horsepower V6 rated at 19/25 mpg (both figures are for FWD versions) and the all-wheel-drive Hybrid, which comes in at 27/28 mpg.

Highlanders equipped with the new-for-2014 all-wheel-drive system now operate in FWD mode automatically, when possible, for better fuel efficiency. Yet the AWD system sends torque to the rear wheels during cornering to improve handling.

A new six-speed automatic transmission replaces the five-speed auto that was standard on V6 Highlanders in 2013. Still, fuel economy improvements are modest because the larger 2014 Highlanders weigh more. With a curb weight of 4,244 pounds, the 2014 LE Plus is 298 pounds heavier than the base 2013 Highlander.

With the exception of the entry-level LE, all Highlanders come standard with three-zone automatic climate control and a power-lift gate with handy flip-up rear hatch.

The third-row seats on Highlanders have changed from the previous 50/50 split fold-down arrangement to a 60/40. There are three 12-volt outlets, two in front and one in second-row area. XLEs include a 120-volt AC auxiliary outlet.

Families (and tour guides?) will probably find the Bluetooth microphone and speakers that's used as a driver's public address system handy. It, like integrated sunshades for the second-row windows, are standard on XLE models and above.

Those who tow will appreciate that Highlanders can pull from 1,500 pounds (2.5-liter four-cylinder LE) to 6,000 pounds (XLE and Limited), when properly equipped. Toyota's available towing package includes upgraded heavy-duty radiator and fan, engine oil and transmission fluid coolers, and a 150-amp alternator.

The Highlander is covered by ToyotaCare program, which means regularly scheduled maintenance is free during the first two years or 25,000-miles.